National Board For Technical Education (NBTE)- Invitation For Expression Of Interest (ΕΟΙ) On Outsourcing Of Physical Quality Assurance Services Leading To Signing Of Service Agreement (12 Lots)

DEADLINE: 27TH MARCH, 2025
NATIONAL BOARD FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION (NBTE)
PLOT B, BIDA ROAD, P.M.B.2239, KADUNA.
INVITATION FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (ΕΟΙ) ON OUTSOURCING OF PHYSICAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SERVICES LEADING TO SIGNING OF SERVICE AGREEMENT

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is a statutory regulatory body for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria. Due to its overwhelming responsibilities in this regard and the exponentially increasing number of TVET Institutions, the Board has established a digital portal for quality assurance. However, for institutions that have poor ICT infrastructure and wish to go for physical accreditation, the Board wishes to engage private sector led organizations and consultants to support these physical quality assurance services. Vendors are planned to be appointed, two (2) in each geo-political zone of the federation to assist the Board in the physical accreditation, resources inspection & verification, and monitoring and evaluation of training in TVET institutions. These are to be domiciled in each geopolitical zone to reduce expenditures during visitation and having a local closer reach to all institutions in the country.

2. SCOPE OF SERVICES

2.1 CATEGORY

A Zonal Quality Assurance Vendor (ZQAV) is an organization that will assist the Board in physically evaluating and certifying institutions and Programs based on established standards. The structure of ZQAV is expected to be as follows:

1. Board of Directors-that will provide overall leadership and strategic direction and set policy directions for the agency based on guidance and standards set by the Board. The number will range from 310 consisting of experienced and qualified citizens, some of whom have TVET or industry experience for 15 years or more.

2. Leadership and Management

a) Managing Director/CEO: Manages the agency’s operations and represents It externally, on full time with TVET or industry experience for 15 to 20 years.

b) Managers: Overseeing different departments such as:

i. Accreditation & quality assurance
ii. IT, research & statistics
iii.Finance & audit

There will be one for each department.

3. Accreditation Committee/Review Panels Composed of at least 5 number staff (with at least 10 years’ experience) in fields such as engineering, science and technology, environmental technology and management studies, for Polytechnic and allied Programs, and Health Technology, Nursing, and related health programs, and other experts in various fields covering the fields of study under the Board. These Panels will be responsible for reviewing applications, coordinating site visitations, compiling visitation reports, making accreditation recommendations, and guiding institutions seeking accreditation. Accreditation teams must be populated with resource persons, at least 2/3 of whom are from TVET Institutions or industry. These committees may also set up Accreditation Evaluation Teams/Peer Review Teams to assist them in conducting assessments of institutions’ applications, document reviews, site visits, and interviews. These teams could also provide reports and recommendations to the accreditation committee.

4. Administrative and Support Staff-a minimum of 3 staff (clerical, secretarial, and hurman resources) responsible for handling logistics, communication, and documentation, including the management of applications, and records management.

5. IT, Statistics and Research Unit-consisting of at least 3 staff that would help to develop and update accreditation criteria and standards, compile institutional and program statistics and send the information to the Board regularly. They will also conduct research to improve TVET curricula and evaluation methodologies and engage with stakeholders to adapt to industry changes.

6. Finance and Audit Department at least 1 fulltime accounting staff and a part-time auditor. These would manage funding, budgeting, and financial sustainability, ensuring transparency and accountability in financial operations. An annual technical and financial audit report should be submitted to the Board.

7. Appeals and Ethics Committee-consisting of full and part-time staff members that will guarantee that appeals from institutions or individuals denied accreditation are heard transparently and openly. This will ensure that decisions are fair, consistent, and in line with extant policies, addressing ethical concerns and conflicts of interest.

8. All conflicts of interest must be resolved and no full-time staff of the vendor could be a full time staff of any existing TVET institution. However, retired staff are allowed to participate. The Board will ensure the integrity and transparency of the accreditation process.

9. At the end of the exercise, successful vendors shall sign a service agreement with the Board for five (5) years, which is renewable, subject to satisfactory performance.

ELIGIBILITY
Interested and competent Consultants/Service Providers wishing to carry out the project listed above are required to submit the following documents for technical evaluation. Failure to fulfill any of the under-listed requirements will render a bid disqualified:

a. Evidence of Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) including Forms CAC2 and CAC7 or C1.1;

b. Evidence of Company’s Income Tax Clearance Certificate for the last three (3) years valid till 31st December, 2025;

c. Evidence of current Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Compliance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2025

d. Evidence of current Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Compliance Certificate valid till 31st December, 2025;

e. Sworn Affidavit;

• disclosing whether or not any full-time officer of the National Board for Technical Education, Kaduna is a former or present Director, shareholder, or has any pecuniary interest in the bidder and to confirm that all information presented in its bid is true and correct in all particulars;
• that no Director has been convicted in any Country for any criminal offense relating to fraud or financial impropriety or criminal misrepresentation or falsification of facts relating to any matter
• that the company is not in receivership, the subject of any form of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, or the subject of any form of winding up petition or proceedings;
• that the company does not have an existing loan or financial liability with a bank, other financial institutions, or third party that is classified as doubtful, non-performance, bad or whose repayment portion has been outstanding for the last (4) months.

f. Evidence of financial capability to execute the project by submission of a Reference Letter from a reputable commercial bank in Nigeria, indicating a willingness to provide credit facility for the execution of the project when needed;

g. Company’s Profile with the Curriculum Vitae of Key Managers to be deployed for the project, including copies of their Academic/Professional qualifications.

h. Reports of the audited past accounts of the company, such as 2022-2024.

i. For Joint Venture/Partnership, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) should be provided, and

j. All documents for submission must be transmitted with a Covering/Forwarding letter under the Company/Firm’s Letter Head Paper bearing amongst others, the Registration Number (RC) as issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Contact Address, Telephone Number (preferably GSM No.), and e-mail address. The Letter Head Paper must bear the Names (and if non-Nigerians, Nationalities) of the Directors of the Company at the bottom of the page, duly signed by the authorized officer of the Company.

Note that documents/information must be arranged and submitted in the sequence/order as listed above.

3.0 SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST DOCUMENTS
Interested bidders are to submit one (1) bound copy of the Expression of Interest (EOI) document (Technical bid), packaged in a sealed envelope and marked as ‘Technical Bid’ addressed to the Head, Procurement Department, National Board for Technical Education, Plot B, Bida Road, Kaduna and clearly marked with the name of the project and Lot number. Furthermore, the reverse of the sealed envelope should bear the name and address of the bidder and dropped in the designated Tender Box at the above address no later than 12.00 noon, 3 weeks from today. Bidders are to sign the bid submission register in the office of the Head of Procurement Department. Bidders are to bid for ONLY ONE LOT.

4.0 COLLECTION OF TENDER DOCUMENT
Successful technically competent companies are to collect the Bid Documents from the Head, Procurement Department of the Board (3″ Floor) between 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (Monday-Friday) upon evidence of non-refundable Tender fee of N10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Naira only) for the Lot paid into the National Board of Technical Education Remita E-Collection Account with NBTE GIFMIS CODE 1000183256 in any reputable commercial bank in Nigeria. Bidders are to sign the bid collection register in the office of the Head of Procurement.

5.0 OPENING OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) DOCUMENTS
Expression of Interest (EOI) documents will be opened immediately after the deadline for submission at 12:01 pm three (3) weeks from today in the Board’s Auditorium in the presence of bidders or their representatives.

6.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
i. Expression of Interest must be in English language and signed by an official authorized by the bidder,

ii. Expression of Interest submitted after the deadline for submission will be returned unopened;

iii. Only pre-qualified bidders will be contacted at a later date for financial proposal;

iv. All costs will be borne by the bidders with any response to this invitation;

v. Non-compliance with the Conditions stated therein will lead to authorized disqualification of the bidder from the bidding process;

vi. The Board is not bound to pre-qualify any bidder and reserves the right to annul the procurement process at any time without incurring any liabilities under section 28 of the Procurement Act 2007;

For further inquiries, please contact the Procurement Department between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm (Mondays-Fridays) at the address: National Board for Technical Education, Plot B, Bida Road, Kaduna.

Signed
Management